Unbridled Lightning
by dragonfire5888
Summary: k.i SUCK at summaries.but neway.'tis an A/U fic based on the TB series.Josh & Raven find an abandoned horse in the woods.She's wild and then have 2 tame her,but she's VERY stubborn.They almost give up 'til some1 who comes 2 their rescue proves 2 them that
1. Chapter One

**Unbridled Lightning**   
  
  
  


_Chapter 1_   
  
  
  


"And it's a photo finish!" the announcer called as Celtic Mist and Wonder's Star flashed under the wire.   


Josh Reese hurried out of the stands after his family as his sister Christina rose in the stirrups and trotted Star towards the gap. Josh and Christina's parents, Ashleigh Griffen and Mike Reese, owned Whitebrook, a small but famous thoroughbred breeding and training facility. Ashleigh's favorite mare, Ashleigh's Wonder, had died giving birth to Star. Now Star was old enough to race in the Kentucky Derby.   


"I hope Chris wins," Josh whispered to his friend, Raven Nelson. Raven's parents, Samantha and Tor, owned an eventing stable, Whisperwood, near Whitebrook. Samantha was one of Ashleigh's best friends, and was the daughter of the head trainer at Whitebrook.   


"And the winner is………..Celtic Mist, by a _hair_. Wonder's Star in a very, very close second."   


Christina looked disappointed as she rode toward the Whitebrook.   


"You and Star were great sweetie. Don't look too disappointed. He's still in the Preakness and Belmont," Ashleigh said.   


"I'm not that disappointed. Star was great, weren't you?" Christina said, 

"I'll cool him out for you," Josh offered. Christina had let him be Star's groom.   


"Thanks. I'll meet you guys in the barn."   
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * *   
  


As Josh and Raven led Star toward the barn after cooling him out, they met Brad Townsend and his wife, Lavina. The Townsends had half ownership in all of Wonder's offspring. The had given Christina their half of Star when he had become very sick and almost died.   


"Congratulations," Josh said stiffly. Their colt, Celtic Mist, had won the Kentucky Derby.   


Lavina didn't even thank him. "Of course Celtic Mist won. I knew all along that Star would never become a good racehorse, even if he hadn't gotten that terrible disease."   


_You don't know anything_, Josh thought   


Parker Townsend suddenly came up to them. "Hey Josh, Raven," he said cheerfully. Seeing his parents he added coldly "Hello mother, father."   


The Townsends frowned. They had never like the fact that Parker dated Christina and had chosen eventing over racing. Parker and parents hated each other.   


"Parker, we'll be in the barn with our Kentucky Derby winner," Brad said, walking away.   


"O.K. Too bad Chris didn't win. She'll be really disappointed. How'd Star come out of the race?"   


"Great" Raven replied. "Mom said you're coming over for your lesson tomorrow. You're lucky you have Foxglove. I still need to find a horse."   


"You'll find one. Remember, we're going to that auction tomorrow." Josh said, starting to walk toward the barn. "Come on. Let's go. Chris will be waiting."   
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * *   
  


That night they all went out to dinner, even though Star hadn't won. It was pretty crowded: Ashleigh, Mike, Christina, Josh, Melanie, Samantha, Tor, Raven, Ian, Beth, Kevin, and Parker. Everyone started talking about the race and auction.   


"Hey Mel, you're not jealous are you?" Christina asked. Melanie's favorite horse, Perfect Image, had also been entered in the Kentucky Derby. She had broken her leg during a workout and had to be retired.   


"No. I'm going to look for a horse tomorrow."   


They talked and ate for another hour. After checking on Star, everyone except for Parker, Ashleigh, Mike, and Ian drove back that night. While thinking about Star's race, Josh quickly fell asleep.   
  
  
  
Chapter Two 


	2. Chapter Two

**Unbridled Lightning**   
  
  
  


_Chapter 2_   
  
  
  
  


"I think this is the one!" Raven cried excitedly as she opened the stall door. The Whitebrook and Whisperwood group had been at the auction for about an hour, looking at all the horses. Everyone had split up after arriving. Josh had decided to help Raven, since he already had a horse. After looking at dozens of horses, Raven had finally found one she wanted. Midnight Magic was an eight-year-old black thoroughbred, trained for eventing.   


"Mom, Dad, come here, quick! I want this horse!" Sammy and Tor came over and checked the horse thoroughly.   


"Can I have him?" Raven asked.   


"Sure, honey." Tor said.   


"Come on Raven. I want to see if Mel found a horse yet. She's been upset ever since Image was retired," Josh said, scanning the crowd as he looked for some sign of his family.   


"Look! There are your parents. Maybe they know where Chris and Mel went. Let's ask."   


Raven and Josh ran up to Ashleigh and Mike.   


"_There_ you are! We've been looking for you everywhere. The auction will start any minute. Go look for your sister. She was looking a bay she really wanted……" Ashleigh's voice trailed off as the auction started, and she hurried off.   


"Bye Josh. I'm going to look for mom and dad so we can get Midnight. Good Luck finding your sister."   


"Yeah. I'll need it. Hope you guys get him. He seems really nice."   


Josh hurried through the stables, looking for Chris and Mel. He couldn't find them anywhere. _Maybe I should just go back to the auction…….unless I want Chris to kill me_, Josh thought. Soon the crowd thinned, and he spotted his sister.   


"Chris, _come on_. The auction already started!"   


As they walked back, Josh remembered that Mel had been looking for a horse.   


"Did you find one you liked?," he asked his cousin.   


"Nope." Melanie added under her breath, "Not now, not ever."   


Josh frowned. Suddenly he heard,   


"Midnight Magic, going once, going twice………sold to number twelve!"   


He started to run, hoping Whisperwood had bought it. Suddenly he crashed into Raven. "We got Midnight! We got Midnight!" She sang happily.   


"Great! You have to go on the trail ride tomorrow. I have to see how he jumps. Meet me at my place, okay?"   


"Great!"   
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * *   


"So Chris, did you get that bay you wanted?," Josh asked that night during dinner. His parents had bought one horse, but he didn't know if it was the one Chris had wanted.   


"No. That's okay, though. I still have Star to work anyway. The Preakness is in about two weeks. We're definitely going to beat the Townsends this year.   


"Can you believe how rude the Townsends were? Parker said they were bragging every minute," Melanie added.   


"Yeah. I met them after we cooled Star out. Lavina said she knew all along that Star was a dud, even before 'he got that terrible disease'." Josh started mimicking Lavina.   


"She said that?!," Josh had never seen Christina so angry. "She was the one who wanted Star from us because he could buy her so many clothes from the money he won!"   


"Let's not talk about them," Ashleigh said. "We all know they'll never learn. So, Josh, Sammy tells me that Raven bought a horse."   


"Yeah. He's really neat. His name is Midnight Magic. Midnight's all black. He's eight years old and trained for eventing. We're going on a trail ride tomorrow."   


"Be careful. There have been some reports on wolves."   


"Oh, is little Joshua too little to go out alone? Maybe he needs his older sister to protect him," Christina teased.   


"Christina! He does not need your protection." Ashleigh snapped, but her eyes were twinkling.   


"Yeah Chris," Melanie added, giggling. "Your parents can't trust you with him. You're too irresponsible. You'll probably get him run over or something."   


Christina opened her mouth in mock horror, but just then, the phone rang. Melanie launched herself out of her seat and grabbed the phone.   


"Hello?"   


"Mel?"   


"Dad!"   


"Hi sweetie. You doing okay?"   


"Yeah dad. How's Anne?   


"Your sister's growing big. She just started to walk."   


"Really? That's great."   


"Listen Mel, we were wondering if you wanted to come back here. To live with us. It would be really nice if Anne could play with her older sister."   


Mel paused, not knowing what to do. One second, she didn't want to leave, but the next second she did. Melanie took a deep breath and said…………….   
  
Chapter Three 


	3. Chapter Three

**Unbridled Lightning**   
  
  
  


_Chapter 3_   
  
  
  


"Okay."   
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * *   


Nobody did anything the next day. Melanie was packing for her flight late that night. Christina had almost cried when Mel had told them that she was going. They were best friends. Kevin had seemed mad, although they all knew he really wasn't.   


"I might still see you at Belmont. And I'll come visit," she had said. But it didn't make it any better. Mel had always been like a sister to Josh. He'd been eight when she came, and now he was fifteen. She'd lived with them for seven years.   


That night, everyone came to the airport to say goodbye. Melanie had started to cry as she hugged everyone in turn.   


"I'll come back. I promise."   


They drove back in silence. Dinner was quiet. Suddenly, "She left because of Image." Everyone looked at Josh. "She didn't have special horse to ride. So she left. We just didn't have her special horse." But they all refused to believe him. "She went back because she missed her family," they all said. "She had always been an only child. Then Anne was born, and Mel just wanted to spend time with her." Only Raven would believe him.   
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * *   


By Saturday, everything had almost gotten back to normal. Josh and Raven decided to go on the trail ride they had planned.   


"Hey Josh, you almost ready?," Raven asked as she led Midnight Magic outside and mounted up.   


"Yeah…" Josh came outside leading Peanut Brittle. He mounted up, and they started toward the trails.   


They rode in silence, each thinking their own thoughts about why Melanie had left. They came to an intersection in the trails when suddenly, a horse came out of no where and flashed by them. It ran so fast that they couldn't tell who the rider was, or in fact, if it even had a rider.   


"Stop! You're on private property," Josh yelled.   


"Let's follow them," Raven replied.   


They both shot of after the horse. Suddenly it rounded a bend in the trail, but when the followed it into a clearing, they could tell it had disappeared.   


"Let's go back and tell someone," Josh said angrily.   


They turned the horses around and started to walk them back. They hadn't even gotten out of the clearing when a howl made Josh's hair stand on end. With a scream of fear, Peanut and Midnight reared, throwing their riders and racing at full speed back.   


Raven and Josh exchanged looks of horror as they realized that they had been left on foot, alone with a pack of wolves.   
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * *   


Back at the training track, Ashleigh and Sammy were watching Shining Jewel, a filly that they co-owned, when a howl made them turn. They didn't think anything of it and turned back. Five minutes later, however, two horses screamed in fear and raced out of the woods.   


"Oh No!," Ashleigh cried and dashed of towards the barn, with Sammy at her heels. Snatching two horses that had been led out from their grooms, Ashleigh and Sammy mounted up and raced off at full speed towards the woods.   
  
Chapter Four 


End file.
